I don't have much time today since the Mr. and I are hurrying this way and that trying to get ready to leave to Bakersfield for our annual Easter celebrations there. We really, really love coming home to a perfectly clean house with fresh sheets in the bedrooms and no dishes in the dishwasher. Needless to say, cleaning of all sorts has been in our repertoire for the past two days.

This is the first year that we'll be going to see our cousins on the Mr.'s side without his parents as they're going through a separation. While it is weird and a change, it's for the best and keeps a semblance of normalcy for my young brother-in-law, John. During long trips, our family likes to listen to audiobooks. So to prepare John, we've had him listening to Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. Not much of a reader by any stretch, we hoped he would like that the male protagonist is his age.

In the spirit of all the grandparents being away from their little girl on Easter, yesterday we set it up so that both Poppy and Grammy (the Mr.'s parents) got to spend some time with Dianna. They seemed to really enjoy themselves. According to the Mr., both of them were all smiles from the few hours they got with our little one. Poppy just got a few new toys for Dianna and she apparently loved her todder-sized stroller. You can see the handles to it just peeking behind her head.

Tonight will be my parents' turn. Then tomorrow, we leave early in the morning on our adventure!